


Happy Little Pill

by StaubreyBechloeGoals4Life



Series: Stacie Conrad: The Scientist [2]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Beca is a Good Friend, Chaubrey Friendship Goals, F/F, Protective Aubrey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 10:26:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14692281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StaubreyBechloeGoals4Life/pseuds/StaubreyBechloeGoals4Life
Summary: The one where Stacie gets injured in the laboratory and everyone is worried about her. Staubrey with a sprinkle of Bechloe, plus Bella Friendship Goals!





	1. Chapter 1

 

Stacie beamed with happiness as she and Aubrey stood in line to get into the venue for the concert. It was Friday night and had been a week since she last saw her girlfriend. Things for Aubrey were hectic since she decided to take over as the owner of the Lodge at Fallen Leaves. After graduating and moving on from the Bellas, Aubrey worked in a corporate office in Atlanta as a management consultant. The position paid well and allowed her to stay close to Stacie while the leggy brunette continued on at Barden. While they did their best to keep their feelings for each other at bay Stacie’s freshman year, mainly due to Aubrey’s insistence that it would be improper for a captain to take advantage of the situation, things changed the night the Bellas won the ICCA Championship. That was the first time Aubrey truly let loose and after a few drinks at the after party Amy insisted the Bellas have to celebrate the win, the blonde let herself indulge in the feelings she had for Stacie. They ended up in bed and had been together ever since.

The first year of their relationship was a bit of a cat and mouse game as neither was ready to admit how committed they were to the other. Instead, they acted as if the relationship was casual, even though neither had any interest of sleeping with anyone else. They also kept it a secret from their friends until Chloe noticed the way the two acted around each other when she invited Aubrey to the End of School Bash the Bellas threw to celebrate their second ICCA Championship. One of the Trebles was flirting with Stacie and while Aubrey tried her best to not show it affected her, her best friend noticed. After Chloe pulled her into a room to question her about her feelings for Stacie, Aubrey revealed their relationship. She was surprised when Chloe admitted she already knew something was going on. Beca had found one of Aubrey’s favorite shirts in Stacie’s room and talked to Chloe about it. Beca and Chloe got together during Beca’s sophomore year and were amused at the idea that their best friends may be together as well.

After that night, Stacie and Aubrey told the rest of the Bellas and made it official. Ever since then, they had been inseparable and even after Aubrey was asked to take over the Lodge at Fallen Leaves, the couple made it work. Stacie spent most of the summer there and when school started back up, Aubrey spent most weekends with Stacie. She kept her apartment in Atlanta just so they could have a place to themselves, especially since there was no privacy in the Bella House. The couple couldn’t be happier together and even though Aubrey was busy finalizing plans to own the resort that she’d fallen in love with over the years, she always made time for Stacie. Aubrey kissed the top of her girlfriend’s hand as they entered the venue and found a table to the side of the stage.

“I didn’t get a chance to listen to much of the album. I was on a call with Peter on the drive in, but I heard a couple of songs and see why you like him so much,” informed Aubrey as they looked over the drink menu.

“Troye Sivan is amazing. Thank you for getting us tickets, Bree.”

“Only the best for you, besides, I want this weekend to be special. I am sorry I haven’t been around as much.” Stacie laced their fingers together and tenderly kissed her.

“Hey, I get it. You have a lot on your plate right now and I am so happy for you. The lodge is finally about to be yours. You are the only one that saw its potential and were willing to fight for it to be renovated and rebranded. It has been yours since the first summer you took over.”

“That was a pretty fun summer. Long days, but definitely worth it thanks to you and our long nights.” Stacie winked at her.

“I am going to get us some drinks. Wine or are you feeling adventurous tonight?”

“One glass of wine will be plenty. I plan on taking advantage of having my sexy girlfriend all to myself this weekend and don’t want to be hungover.” She gasped when Stacie’s hand slid onto her thigh.

“The Hunter is looking forward to it,” teased Stacie before heading for the bar. Aubrey took in a shaky breath to steady her racing heart as she watched Stacie saunter away. She noticed several men watching her girlfriend and rolled her eyes. At first, it bothered her how much attention Stacie got and how often people flirted with her, but after a few months…and a talk from Stacie…Aubrey realized that her girlfriend only had eyes for her and she had no reason to be jealous. She replied to a text message from Chloe before putting her phone on silent. She looked around the stage and at the crowd gathering in front of it. It was a small venue, but would be a packed house. She frowned when she saw a man on the opposite side of the bar approaching Stacie and thought he looked vaguely familiar. He was tall, had a strong build, and dark hair.

Stacie laughed as the woman behind the bar handed her the drinks she ordered.

“Thanks and keep the change,” said Stacie with a wink and the bartender gave her a playful wink back.

“Your girlfriend is a lucky woman,” teased the bartender as she took the cash and headed over to another customer.

“Always the flirt,” called a voice behind her and she rolled her eyes as she turned to see the man she had a feeling would eventually show up.

“Dom, what are you doing here?”

“I was in the area,” he said with a coy smile as he sat down at the bar.

“This is stalking.”

“This is me doing my job.” She gritted her teeth.

“Your job is stay away until you are needed, not follow me on dates with my girlfriend. How did you even know I was here? My parents agreed to compromise. You stay in Atlanta, but no constant lurking in the shadows. That was the deal. I am not a child anymore and don’t need your protection,” she informed as she turned to head back to her table.

“My job is to keep you safe.”

“And yet here you are, coming up to me while I am trying to enjoy my time with Bree. You sure this is about security and not about something else,” she challenged and he smirked as he stood up to straighten his jacket.

“A hate group has moved into the area. Atlanta has always been more accepting than a lot of Georgia, but there is a rally this weekend. Anyone that doesn’t conform to the warped ideas of homogeneity this group has on their agenda is a target, so yes, I keep tabs on you, which is my job. And yes, when I realized you were coming to the concert, in a venue with subpar security, and only two viable exit points, I decided to attend. I came over because I didn’t want you to think I was lurking. I am here because I need to be here to do my job. Is that alright with you, Anastacia,” he challenged back as they glared at one another. Aubrey protectively wrapped her arm around Stacie’s waist and eyed him suspiciously.

“I’ve seen you before, at the farmer’s market a few times. Are you following my girlfriend,” asked Aubrey and Stacie sighed.

“Bree, this is Dom. He works for my family. Dom, this is…”

“Aubrey Posen, daughter of General Trent Posen,” stated Dom and Aubrey observed the way he was standing and how on guard he looked.

“You a marine, soldier,” she questioned and he smiled.

“General Posen has taught you well, but the Marines were never my style.”

“SEAL? Delta Force?” He winked at her.

“You ladies enjoy your evening. Stay alert tonight, Anastacia.” Stacie shuddered at the use of her full name.

“Whatever you say, Dominic,” quipped Stacie and she smirked when he shuddered as well. He walked away and Aubrey frowned in confusion as she followed Stacie back to their table.

“Okay, what the hell did I miss? Who is that guy?” Stacie sighed and handed her a glass of wine as they sat down.

“Dom is my bodyguard,” she confessed and Aubrey’s eyes widened.

“Your bodyguard? Why am I just now finding out about him? How long has he been here? Wait, are you in danger? What is….”

“Because I knew you would have a million questions. You know who my family is. It is just a precaution, an annoying one at that. He has been here since I started attending Barden, but usually stays at a distance. He lives in Atlanta, not too far, not too close. That was the deal, but apparently he is on high alert tonight because there is some stupid rally this weekend.” Aubrey slowly nodded.

“Yea, my dad was actually warning me about that too. Ever since I told him about us, he has been concerned about all the hate crimes against people in the LGBTQ community in Georgia. Why didn’t you tell me about Dom, though? We have been dating for almost three years and I am just now hearing about him?”

“Out of sight out of mind is supposed to be his specialty. I am sorry I didn’t tell you about him, but I don’t like to think about Dom, okay? It just reminds me that to my family, I am still just someone that needs to be protected.”

“Do your brothers have bodyguards?”

“Yes, but it isn’t the same. They actually don’t hover unless they are out of the country.”

“Maybe that is because their bodyguard isn’t in love with them,” suggested Aubrey before taking a gulp of her wine. Stacie’s eyes widened.

“No, no, no, Dom and I are….”

“Have you slept with him?”

“Whoa, where did that even come from? You need to slow down,” said Stacie as she grabbed Aubrey’s glass and placed it back on the table.

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“I have known Dom since I was fourteen. Did I used to think he was hot? Yes, I mean look at him, but we have never been more. His loyalty is with my family, especially my father who talked my mother into getting me a bodyguard in the first place. It is a long and drawn out story and this is why I didn’t mention him before. There is nothing going on between us. He stalks me for a living, not exactly my type. Besides, I happen to be in love with an amazing woman who has my heart.” Aubrey smiled and kissed her before nodding.

“Okay, sorry for freaking out. It’s just weird to not know so much about you still.”

“How about this? We enjoy the concert and then when we get back to your place, you can ask me whatever you want,” suggested Stacie and Aubrey happily nodded as the lights dimmed. The crowd began to cheer as the music started and Troye Sivan walked onstage. Stacie’s eyes were glued to the stage as the musician began playing songs from his album, but Aubrey’s mind wandered.

She knew that Stacie was an heiress and that her parents built Conrad Industries from the ground up before she was even born. She even knew about Stacie’s family and how they saw her as the genius, which is why they were surprised by her decision to go to Barden and even more surprised when she became a Bella. She knew that Stacie preferred to downplay her intelligence, didn’t like to talk about her status, and did everything she could to make people only see her as a college student that just happened to like to sing and study in a lab. Aubrey always knew Stacie was more than that. It was one of the things that attracted her, Stacie’s longing to be normal. Stacie snapped her out of her thoughts and gave her a look. Aubrey giggled and grabbed her hand.

“Okay, okay, I am not obsessing over it. Come on let’s see if we can get closer. I know you love this song,” suggested Aubrey and Stacie grinned from ear to ear as Aubrey led her into the crowd to get closer to the stage. They made it toward the front and Aubrey wrapped her arms around Stacie from behind as Stacie began to sway her hips and sing along to the song. Aubrey peppered kisses on her neck and Stacie leaned into her.

“You know why I love this song, Bree? Because it reminds me of you. You are my happy little pill. It doesn’t matter what is going on in my life. You are always there to make me smile,” explained Stacie and Aubrey pulled her closer as they danced to the music. In that moment, nothing else mattered but the two of them as they enjoyed the concert.

 

Stacie moaned as she woke up the next morning in Aubrey’s bed. Her body ached in the satisfying way it tended to after she had a long night of love making with her girlfriend, but instead of smiling, she frowned when she opened her eyes and didn’t see Aubrey. She slowly sat up.

“Bree,” she called and beamed with happiness when Aubrey walked in with a tray of food, wearing her favorite Barden shirt and a pair of Stacie’s shorts.

“Those are mine,” said Stacie with a smile that let Aubrey know she was happy to see her wearing them.

“You keep stealing my clothes, so it is only fair I get to steal yours,” teased Aubrey as she placed the tray on the bed and crawled back into it.

“Morning, baby,” whispered Stacie before kissing her.

“Morning, I was starving so I made us something to eat. Someone wore me out last night.”

“Well, I figured we needed to make up for lost time. It has been a very long week without you and I am not going to see you at all next week or weekend,” pouted Stacie.

“I know, but I promise to make it up to you and I will bring you back something from Colorado.”

“Just bring me back you,” said Stacie. She kissed her again before grabbing a piece of toast.

“So, Dom,” started Aubrey and Stacie groaned.

“Really, you want to start our day like that?”

“You said you would tell me whatever I wanted to know after the concert, but then distracted me.”

“Are you really complaining about having four orgasms last night?”

“Never, but now I want to know. I get why you have a bodyguard. It just makes me realize I don’t know much about your family. I haven’t met your brothers and only met your parents when they came to Atlanta for business and we had dinner with them. You talk to them on the phone all the time, but it just feels like you are hiding something from me. Dom kind of confirms that now.”

“When I was a kid, I didn’t really understand what the big deal was about my family. Dad made cool tech and mom studied brains. My brothers, the twins, were always overachievers in school, but apparently I was different. Things just came easily to me and I wanted to spend more time in the lab working on cool tech with my dad than out playing with my friends. I had a pretty easy childhood. I went to a private academy and had the best of things, but everything changed when I turned thirteen. My friend Lior and his family went on a trip to London and he and his parents were killed. I only knew his parents as my best friend’s parents that let us eat junk food and watch Rated R movies, but to the world, they were brilliant inventors that could make tech to be weaponized and used to kill people.”

“Wait, what were their names? Lior’s parents?”

“Shmuel and Sapir, why do you ask?”

“I remember hearing about that. It really concerned my dad. He even ramped up security at our house afterwards.”

“Yea, my parents did too. Up until then, I just thought my parents and Lior’s parents did cool tech stuff, but I was a naïve little teenager that still only saw science as a way to discover more about the world. I didn’t realize how many bad people out there would see it as a way to conquer, to kill, and their deaths made me realize that Conrad Industries wasn’t just a cool lab I got to play around in. Just like Lior’s parents weren't just successful inventors. My family and Lior’s didn’t work together, but they knew things about each other’s work and it hit too close to home for my dad. They were such good people, but because someone thought they were a threat they killed them. They placed an explosive under their car and I lost my best friend because his parents helped the U.S. find weapons before they got into the hands of terrorists. Conrad Industries has never worked with the military and my parents focus on advancing technology in the medical field, but my dad didn’t want to take the risk, so the next thing I know I had a bodyguard. I hated it and I managed to get the first couple fired. I would run off, act out, and I did it because I was hurting, but I rebelled. Then Dom came along and yes, I may have let him stick around at first because I had a crush on him.”

“How old is he, anyways?”

“Thirty eight, but you of all people should know I like my partners to be older than me,” she teased and Aubrey huffed.

“I am only three years older,” reminded Aubrey.

“And yet you didn’t even know Troye Sivan had a YouTube channel.”

“Just because I am not obsessed with YouTube like you are doesn’t make me old,” pouted Aubrey and Stacie giggled as she crawled onto her lap to straddle her.

“Aw, my poor baby is offended,” teased Stacie and Aubrey melted into her as Stacie sucked on the pulse point below her ear.

“No fair, using my spot against me,” moaned Aubrey and Stacie cupped her breasts.

“Long story short, Dom became my bodyguard. I didn’t want him to follow me to Barden, but my parents didn’t give me a choice. He stays in Atlanta and doesn’t hover unless it is deemed necessary. The rally made him think it was necessary. He is overprotective like that, but there is nothing between us. Now, stop worrying about him and start focusing on more orgasms.” Aubrey moaned as Stacie pulled off her shirt.

“Yes ma’am,” whispered Aubrey and Stacie gasped.

“You know I love it when you surrender to me.” Aubrey smirked.

“I know,” giggled Aubrey before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.

 

They spent the rest of the weekend exploring one another and making love, but neither of them wanted to stop. As Stacie dropped Aubrey off at the airport, her heart already began to ache for her.

“I already miss you and you aren't even gone yet,” whined Stacie and Aubrey nodded before tenderly kissing her.

“I miss you too and I promise that when I get back, we will have more time together. I just need to knock this meeting out the park, get the last of the shareholders to relinquish their control over the lodge, and then it is officially mine. Wish me luck.”

“Good luck and remember to breathe. We wouldn’t want another viral puking video on our hands.” Aubrey arched an eyebrow at her and Stacie tried not to laugh.

“Still too soon,” teased Stacie and Aubrey smirked as she got out of the car, but Stacie could see the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“I will call you when I land.”

“You better,” said Stacie before getting out to help her with her luggage. Aubrey sweetly kissed her one more time and headed toward the terminal. Stacie stood there for a few minutes, secretly hoping Aubrey would need to come back for something, but she knew she was being ridiculous. She got into her car and sighed, already counting down the days until Aubrey returned.


	2. Chapter 2

Stacie nodded along to the music pulsing through her earbuds as she walked into the laboratory. It was Friday and the week seemed to drag, but she tried to keep her mind off of missing Aubrey. The playlist Beca made for her helped her focus a bit and she was ready to get to work on her research. She rolled her eyes when she saw Bradley hovering over his microscope and scribbling some notes.

“Getting a late start, Conrad. The early bird gets the worm,” he informed as she took out one of her earbuds and smirked.

“Last time I checked, I was the one with the perfect score on Anderson’s exam while you couldn’t seem to figure out question three. Don’t worry though, he stumped most of the class,” she taunted and he glared at her.

“You know what your problem is, Conrad?”

“Preppy, rich boys that are used to getting their way and don’t know when they are simply out of their league?”

“You are cocky and think you are so damn smart.”

“No, my test scores, transcripts, and ability to blow your research out of the water make me smart. What I think about my intelligence is a moot point.”

“You aren't going to be able to blow my research out of the water this time, but don’t worry. I will let you blow something else later.” Stacie glanced down at her watch.

“Wow, it only took you 45 seconds to say something sexist and gross. That is a personal best. Keep dreaming though, Brad,” called Stacie before sitting down at her work station.

“This new experiment is going to change the game, Conrad. Just you wait and see. Anderson is going to love me.”

“Is that why you overcompensate by sexually harassing me on a regular basis? You secretly just want Professor Anderson to love you? A little more Freudian than I anticipated, but it makes sense,” said Stacie as Ada entered the lab with a shake of her head.

“You two are already at each other’s throats? It isn’t even noon yet. Don’t hate on my girl because you ain’t her, Bradley,” teased Ada and Bradley rolled his eyes.

“Whatever, come see this, Ada. I need someone to bask in my glory with and Conrad just isn’t worth my time anymore. Look what I figured out.” Stacie put back on her earbuds to drown them out as she focused on her work, but something Ada said caught her attention.

“Are you sure you can mix those,” asked Ada. Stacie jerked off her earbuds and tossed them on the table.

“What are you mixing over there,” she asked and Bradley smirked.

“Don’t worry, Conrad, when I win the grant money, I will make sure they know you gave it the old college try,” he taunted with a wink as he grabbed a vial. Stacie’s eyes widened when she realized what he grabbed and the beaker he was about to pour it into. For Stacie, it all happened in slow motion as her brain calculated the reaction. She knew Bradley was arrogant enough to not look at what he was grabbing or check to make sure before he poured it in. She knew that Ada would be in the direct path of where the beaker would break and the liquid would splash out. She knew Bradley forgot to slip his goggles back on since he was too caught up in trying to show off. The reaction was explosive enough to blind him and significantly burn them both, unless she lunged. She didn’t realize she was sprinting toward them until she felt the spike in adrenaline. She thanked genetics and physics for the long legs she inherited from her mother and the momentum to force them backward. She’d never actually seen a chemical reaction of that nature close up and was surprised by the crackle and hiss that occurred as the liquid burst upwards, the beaker shattered, and chaos ensued. She barely was able to grab onto both of them in time to tackle them. She took the brunt of the impact as they crashed over the table behind them. Pain shot through her body when they collapsed on the other side and then everything went black.

 

Dom folded up his newspaper and placed it under his arm as he walked out of the café on the edge of campus. He usually wasn’t so close to Barden. After all, the agreement was that he wouldn’t hover. He still remembered the tantrum Stacie threw when her parents told her he was coming with her to Barden. Her mother played referee as Stacie and her father stood toe to toe. It was usually the other way around, but Eric was not happy with his daughter’s decision to attend Barden instead of MIT, Yale, Princeton, or any of the other prestigious schools that actively recruited her since she was thirteen years old. If she was going to choose her mother’s alma mater just to spite him, he was going to make sure Dom went with her just to spite her back. Dom knew it and so did Stacie. Her brothers didn’t have a security detail when they went off to college, something Stacie pointed out, but her father assured her she was different. Dom started to understand quite early on while protecting Stacie why she hated certain words like different, rare, and the word she hated the most, genius. Stacie loved being herself, except when people used it against her. Helen eventually helped them reach the compromise and Dom stayed in his apartment in Atlanta, close enough to jump into action, but far enough away to let Stacie feel a sense of normalcy.

He felt badly for approaching her at the concert and a part of him nagged about his justifications. He could have attended and stayed in the shadows, but he didn’t. He saw her flirtatious banter with the bartender and approached. He told himself he didn’t want Aubrey to get upset at her for flirting, but a part of him knew what the real issue was. He knew if he was Aubrey, he would have been upset. He was thinking about what he would do as her significant other, not Stacie or Aubrey, and he also knew it wasn’t his business in the first place, but that tended to happen with Stacie. He never crossed a line, but he was attached to her in ways that he knew he shouldn’t be. He promised himself he wasn’t in love with her. After all, there were millions upon millions of reasons why it would be an issue and would never work out, but Stacie Conrad had a charisma and confidence that made most people fall in love with her. So, he found himself breaking his routine of working out before checking on possible threats to come to Barden to apologize for his behavior. When the alarm blared in his earpiece, it stunned him for a moment. He hadn’t heard it in years. Not since the false alarm Stacie set off one drunken night her freshman year. After being scolded by both of her parents, she promised to never let it happen again.

He pulled out his phone and checked to see what made the alarm on her necklace sound. After the last false alarm, Eric sent her an updated version that wasn’t as easy to set off and that had more features. His heart dropped when he read the message.

Explosive Impact Detected

His body was in motion before his brain even told it to be and he hopped onto his motorcycle. Many students looked at him curiously as he hopped the curb of the café and headed toward the location. He pressed a button on his earpiece and began speaking as soon as he heard someone pick up.

“This is not a false alarm. I repeat, not a false alarm. Heading to the coordinates now. Ready a med team and have them on standby.”

“Roger that, authorities already in the area. There is a fire in the laboratory on campus. Fire department, police, and ambulances are on the way.”

“Shit,” cursed Dom as he ended the call and accelerated. He didn’t even bother parking his motorcycle when he arrived in front of the science building. Instead, he pushed off it and sprinted into the building as it crashed to the ground. The fire alarms echoed through it and students and faculty were rushing out of the exit doors. He raced downstairs where the laboratory was located and pushed aside one of the scientists as he reached the double doors. He kicked at the doors when they wouldn’t open.

“It is protocol. If the detectors in the lab sense smoke or certain chemicals, the doors lock to quarantine the area.”

“Get them open, now,” he practically growled and the woman shook her head.

“If they released a dangerous chemical in the air, opening the doors could endanger more people. Once the detectors assess that the threat is gone, the doors will open,” she explained as he continued to kick at the door. It felt like hours, but it only took seconds for the doors to open. He ran into the room, which was drenched with water and a blue liquid he assumed was meant to douse any chemicals. The woman behind him gasped as she entered as well and saw three of her brightest students crumpled on the floor. Dom immediately ran over to Stacie and checked her pulse. He sighed in relief, but noticed the blood oozing from the back of her head. He could hear more people rushing into the room to check on the other students, which he was thankful for. He didn’t have time to worry about anyone else but her. He grabbed a small black device from the inside of his jacket pocket and turned it on before sticking it on her chest. It synced with his phone and he furiously typed instructions into it.

“Monitoring vitals. Vitals destabilizing,” responded the device in a robotic voice. Dom took off his jacket and placed it behind Stacie’s head before scooping her up into his arms. He darted from the room as the rest of the faculty and staff looked at him in startled confusion. As soon as he was outside, he gently placed her down by his motorcycle and typed in the passcode to access the secret side panel of the bike. Campus police were quickly by his side.

“Sir, what are you doing? Please step back and wait for the paramedics to arrive,” called one of the men.

“There are two more students in the lab that need help. I am a doctor,” he called back. It wasn’t completely true or completely false, but he knew it would appease them. They rushed back into the building and he unlocked the kit. He grabbed one of the small canisters and gently lifted Stacie’s head to search for the wound. He spotted it with ease since it was bleeding profusely and sprayed the area. The blood began to thicken and crystallize to clot the gash on the back of her head. Once he was satisfied that the bleeding had stopped, he grabbed a different vial and small needle before injecting her with what was only explained to him as an emergency serum. He tapped the device on her chest again.

“Monitoring vitals. Vitals stabilizing.” He sighed in relief as the fire department, ambulances, and police arrived. One of the paramedics rushed over to him and frowned in confusion.

“What is all this? I need to know anything that has been done before I move her.”

“That’s not your concern. This is Stacie Conrad. I am her bodyguard and legally authorized to tend to her when she needs medical attention. She has a wound on the back of her head and probably a concussion. I couldn’t find any other major injuries. Get her to the hospital, now,” he instructed and while the paramedic wanted to question him, the authority with which he spoke made him nod as more paramedics arrived on the scene. A paramedic with a stretcher made her way over and Dom took in another sigh of relief, knowing Stacie would be at a hospital soon enough.

 

Beca sighed happily as Chloe kissed her neck and unbuttoned her flannel shirt. They had the house to themselves since the rest of the Bellas were in class. Both of them had off on Fridays and Beca was thankful that they were able to arrange their schedules to have a day to themselves. Chloe straddled her waist and began grinding their hips together as she moaned.

“You still have on too many clothes,” teased Beca as she tugged at Chloe’s shorts. Suddenly, her phone rang and she cursed under her breath, but reached for it as Chloe pouted. She frowned in confusion when a number didn’t show up.

“It just says unknown. Probably a cold call,” mumbled Beca before ignoring the call and tossing the phone back on her nightstand. She captured Chloe’s lips in a tender kiss, but groaned when the phone rang again.

“Just pick it up,” conceded Chloe and Beca whined, but did.

“Yea, what,” she grumbled.

“Is this Beca Mitchell?”

“Um, yea, who is this,” asked Beca as she sat up.

“My name is Dom. I am Stacie’s bodyguard. She has been….”

“Stacie’s what? Okay, I don’t know who this is, but…”

“Stacie is in the hospital,” he interrupted and Beca gulped.

“What are you talking about? If this is some sick joke, dude, I will kick your ass.”

“This is not a joke. Her family is on the way and I cannot get in touch with Aubrey. I have been told that you are dating Chloe Beale, Aubrey’s best friend. Can you get in touch with her? I know Stacie would want all of you to know.” Chloe frowned in confusion as tears filled Beca’s eyes.

“Um, yea, Chloe is right here. What is wrong with Stacie? Is she alright?”

“There was an incident at the lab. Please get in touch with Aubrey and let her know what is going on.”

“Chloe and I are on our way. Where is she at?”

“Atlanta Regional about five miles north of campus.”

“Yea, I know where it is. We will be right there.” Beca hung up and hopped off of the bed. Chloe was already changing into jeans and a shirt. She tossed Beca’s jacket to her.

“Bree’s phone is probably on do not disturb, but I can text her. She usually will check it when she gets a chance, even if she is in a meeting,” informed Chloe and Beca nodded as she felt her heart racing. Chloe pulled her into her arms.

“Hey, look at me everything is going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know Stacie and she is a fighter. Whatever happened, she will be okay,” assured Chloe. Beca wanted to argue that they had no way of knowing that, but she didn’t want to be right. She wanted to believe Chloe and nodded as her girlfriend pulled her out of their bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Dom paced back and forth as he glanced down at his watch and went through his mental checklist once again. He called Eric and Helen to notify them. He called her brothers. He called her friends. He snapped out of his mental notes to glance over at Beca and Chloe, who were both on their phones. It had been two hours since they arrived in the waiting room and they looked as panicked as he felt. A hand was suddenly on his shoulder and he gave a nod when he saw Jene.

“You got here quickly. I thought you were with Eric and Helen?”

“It was a low risk vacation so Eva went with them instead. I stayed back to monitor things with the kids. The boys will be here soon. They were down in Orlando for a conference. I was in Jacksonville visiting an old friend.”

“And staying close to all three of them,” he said and she gave him a sympathetic smile.

“How are you holding up?”

“She has been unconscious for hours.”

“Eric and Helen are sending Amir. He is already on a flight from New York and will arrive shortly. They will not arrive from Sydney until tomorrow.”

“How are they doing?”

“Last time I spoke to them, Eric was cursing in the background about being too far away and Helen was stoic. They both are counting down the hours until they can be by her side. This wasn’t your fault, Dom.”

“I know that,” he said as he cleared his throat.

“But do you believe it? In our jobs, we get quite close to the family. It is alright to feel helpless at the moment.”

“I just wish they would hurry up and tell us something.”

“Once Amir arrives, we will have constant updates.” Her phone buzzed and she smiled.

“The boys have landed. I will be back,” she said before leaving and he took in a deep breath to try to calm his nerves. He stood inside the entryway of the waiting room as Beca and Chloe spoke to one another.

“Cynthia Rose is coming. She told the others to stay put, but I think we all know this room will be full of Bellas soon,” said Chloe.

“What about Aubrey?”

“She is packing and changing her flight. She is beating herself up for not having her phone on during the meeting.”

“I can't imagine what she is feeling right now. I feel helpless and I am right here. If it was you…” Beca shuddered at the thought and Chloe hugged her.

“Stacie is going to be okay,” she assured and Beca nodded as her phone rang again. She sighed.

“It’s Em, I better take it. I know she is still freaking out.” Chloe nodded and headed over to Dom.

“Hey, um, you said her family is on the way right? Do you need us to call anyone or do anything?” He smiled kindly at her.

“No, but thank you, Chloe.”

“Just out of curiosity, how do you know my….”

“I know all of your names. It is my job to know your names. No, I do not watch all of you. Yes, I ran background checks,” he answered and she blushed.

“Right, so how long have you been her bodyguard?”

“Six years.”

“Wow, I can't believe we never knew.”

“If you knew, I wouldn’t be very good at my job,” he reminded and she slowly nodded.

“Right, stealth bodyguard and all that, um, some of the girls are heading up soon. They are bringing some lunch. Do you want anything?”

“She always says you are the mother of the group, always checking to make sure everyone is doing okay. Thank you, but I am fine. You are a good friend to her.”

“Thanks,” said Chloe before turning to leave. She hesitated for a second and turned back around.

“Stacie’s sophomore year, we had a party and a group of rowdy guys started causing a scene. We kicked them out but they threatened to come back later. Lilly said she saw a guy….”

“The Omegas have been warned to never step foot on Bella property again. People tend to take my warnings seriously.”

“Good to know,” said Chloe before going back to sit down by Beca.

 

Two more hours passed and all the Bellas were in the waiting room. Beca told them to stay home and wait for updates, but knew they wouldn’t listen. Stacie’s brothers arrived and were talking with the girls as they all waited on an update. The identical twins always had an irresistible charm and that accompanied with their handsome good looks got the attention of many of the Bellas. Dom and Jene were standing guard. Amir, a neurosurgeon that worked with Stacie’s parents from time to time arrived and was running tests. Dom perked up when Amir walked through the double doors with a smile.

“She is awake,” he announced and her brothers hopped up.

“Can we see her,” they said in unison and Amir nodded.

“Yes, but try not to overstimulate her senses. She has a severe concussion. Dom, it was a smart move to give her the serum. It is helping along with her recovery, but she is still going to need a few days. However, I do not believe they will need to be spent here. I am sure Helen will check her over when she arrives tomorrow. Tonight, she needs to be monitored and observed. We have a special device to assist with that, but I am going to release her into your custody, boys. You are free to go in,” informed Amir and her brothers jogged through the doors toward the emergency room. Dom and Jene walked over to Amir.

“How are the other two doing,” asked Dom.

“I am on my way to check on them. The boy broke his arm in the fall, but the girl has already been released. They each have concussions as well, but minor compared to Stacie’s. They were all very lucky. Jene showed me the footage from the lab and if Stacie would have reacted a moment later, it could have been catastrophic.”

“Footage,” asked Dom and Jene nodded as she pulled out her phone.

“I recovered it from the university’s cameras,” said Jene. She handed him the phone and Dom gritted his teeth as he watched the explosion in slow motion.

 

Stacie slowly sat up in bed and winced at the pounding in her head as her brother’s entered the room. They both hugged her.

“You know, if you weren't twins, I would think the accident is making me see double,” she rasped out and Derek slipped his hand in hers as EJ sat down on the other side of the bed.

“How are you feeling,” asked Derek and she shrugged.

“Like I was hit by a truck.”

“Mom and dad are on the way,” informed EJ.

“They didn’t have to cancel the rest of their trip. I am fine. See, I even know they were on a trip and you two were in Florida. Everything is fine and no one needed to fly in to see me.”

“Are you kidding? You really think we wouldn’t come in town,” asked EJ.

“You know Stace, if you missed us, all you had to do was say so,” teased Derek and she rolled her eyes, but the movement made her head throb even more.

“Careful there, you hit your head pretty hard,” said Derek.

“Yea, I noticed. Amir said I can go home though, right?”

“Yep, you are officially in our custody,” said EJ with a mischievous grin.

“Oh no, the last time you two had to watch me, I ended up vomiting ice cream all night.”

“No one told you to eat that much,” said Derek.

“No one told you to let me,” said Stacie and they both laughed, but she winced again. EJ nudged his brother.

“Stop making her laugh. No overstimulation, remember,” scolded EJ and Stacie frowned.

“Amir didn’t tell me that. Wait, does that mean no sex? Bree comes back on Sunday. Oh well, sometimes you just can't listen to your doctor.”

“You really should listen to your doctor,” said Amir as he walked back into the room and she smiled mischievously.

“Depends on the doctor’s orders.”

“Well, this doctor is willing to release you, but you aren't out of the woods yet. No physical activities, including sex, no sudden movements, and a lot of rest. You will need to wear this while you sleep. It will monitor your brain activity. Most patients have to be woken up every few hours, but most patients’ parents don’t create state of the art medical equipment.”

“Expensive equipment, that is a prototype, so don’t go breaking it,” added EJ and Stacie smirked.

“Love you too, bro,” she grumbled and Derek rolled his eyes at his brother.

“What he meant to say was we are happy you are okay and that some of the new tech can come in handy. It is a good thing we rarely have to use it, but we are glad it is here when you need it.”

“I liked your version better,” said Stacie as EJ rolled his eyes. Amir shook his head in amusement.

“I gave Jene your prescriptions. She offered to get them filled for you. One is for pain, so take it when necessary and the other is to prevent migraines and headaches. You took quite a nasty spill so you may wake up feeling sore. Let me know if any new symptoms appear. Your mother will conduct a follow-up assessment when she gets here,” explained Amir.

“Great, can I go now,” asked Stacie as she made her way out of the bed.

“Yes, but wait for the nurse. Your friends are all waiting for you and I think one of them brought you some clothes to change into.”

“Thanks, Amir, for everything,” she said and he kissed her cheek.

“Don’t scare me like that again, understand?”

“Understand,” she said with a smile and he winked at her before leaving. EJ looked down at his watch.

“I’m going to make sure we can check in to the hotel and then I’ll update mom and dad,” said EJ before leaving as well and Stacie sighed.

“Always the warm, nurturing one,” she grumbled and Derek chuckled.

“Well if he was, then what would you need me for?”

“Plenty,” she assured and he kissed her cheek.

“Glad you are still in the world of the living, little sis. You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Yea, pretty sure I almost had one too.” She winced as her head throbbed even more.

“Once we get you out of here, we will be sure you get the meds in your system. Do you want to stay with us in the suite or at the Bella House? We know that place can get rowdy. I remember the stories.”

“I want to be in my room. That place is home. Besides, I am sure they would mutiny if I decided to stay in a hotel instead of letting them worry about me at the house.”

“Damn right we would,” said Beca as she walked in with a bag of clothes. Stacie smiled at her and Derek did as well.

“I will leave you two alone and go check on EJ. He puts up a good front, but he was really worried, Stace.”

“I will believe it when I see it,” she grumbled as he departed.

“So, those are the twins. You are right, Eric Junior is all business.”

“EJ, he hates being called Eric Junior….actually, no, go ahead and call him that.” Beca giggled.

“Good to see you still have your sense of humor. You really scared the hell out of me, Conrad.”

“Sorry, Mitchell, but as your best friend, I am allowed at least one time, right?” Beca smirked.

“I don’t remember that being part of the agreement. You don’t ever get to leave me. We are stuck with each other well after senior year ends and we are supposed to be out doing whatever adults say they do.”

“Don’t worry you can't get rid of me that easily. Have you spoken to Bree? I know Chloe told her.”

“Of course she did, Stace. She is flying back and should be here tonight.” Stacie groaned.

“I am fine and don’t need her worrying about me.”

“Dude, you almost blew yourself up in the lab. We’re going to worry about you,” joked Beca, but Stacie gulped as the memory of the sound of the explosion echoed through her head. Beca cringed.

“Too soon,” she asked and Stacie cleared her throat.

“I’m fine. Just ready to get out of here,” she assured and Beca handed her the bag of clothes.

“Thanks,” said Stacie before slowly making her way into the bathroom. Beca eyed her carefully. She knew Stacie was still shaken up, but also knew her friend well enough to know she wasn’t ready to talk about it.

 

Aubrey was trying to keep her temper under control, but she wasn’t in the mood as the man at the gate spoke in a clipped tone.

“Like I already said, Miss, the flight is full and no one has offered to give up their seat yet to standby passengers.”

“Look, this is an emergency. My girlfriend was in an accident and I need to get back to Atlanta as soon as possible.”

“All I can do is look for another flight to get you on, but so far, nothing is available until tomorrow,” said the man as he stared at his computer. Her phone rang and she frantically answered.

“Is she okay,” she asked.

“Yes, Bree, she is fine and already has been released, remember?”

“Right, yes, sorry, I am just freaking out still. I can't believe this even happened.”

“It is okay. I just was calling to check on you. I know how hard this is. When do you board?”

“Apparently never, I am on standby and the flight is full. Now they are saying I can't get out of here until the morning, which is completely unacceptable,” she said as she glared at the man and he smirked.

“You can't get a flight out until tomorrow now? That is ridiculous and….wait, uh, yea, hold on. Bree, one of Stacie’s brothers wants to speak with you.” Aubrey’s eyes widened as she heard a deep voice on the phone. She knew about Stacie’s brothers. She knew they were twins and she was closer with Derek than EJ, but Aubrey had never actually spoken to them.

“Aubrey, this is EJ Conrad, Stacie’s brother. What airport are you at?”

“Denver International.”

“Brilliant, we use a charter from there sometimes. Okay, head over to the concierge at the luxury lounge by Concourse B and we will take care of the rest. I apologize for not offering sooner. It has been a strange day.”

“Wow, um, thank you so much.”

“No problem, your last name is Posen, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, I will get that all set up for you. See you soon.” He hung up and Aubrey sighed in relief. She glared at the man behind the desk one more time before grabbing her bag and heading for Concourse B.

 

Stacie stared at herself in the mirror in the bathroom and wiped away the moisture from it again. She had just finished taking a shower and was relieved to be away from everyone. She knew they all meant well, but the constant questions, suggestions, and concerned looks were wearing on her nerves. She didn’t know how many different ways to say that she was fine before they got the hint. She dried her hair with a towel and put her hair in a ponytail before begrudgingly pulling out the plastic box EJ gave to her. She surveyed the small, circular device before sticking it on her left temple and turning it on. She knew what the device did. She helped to create it after all, but it annoyed her that she had to wear it. She was fine and was tired of everyone treating her like she wasn’t. She wrapped her other towel tighter around her before leaving the bathroom, but it almost dropped when she was startled by Chloe, who was waiting out in the hallway for her.

“Jesus Christ, Chlo,” shrieked Stacie. She winced at the pain that shot through her head and Chloe cringed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to let you know that Aubrey is about to get on a plane. She was on standby, but EJ helped her get on a charter.” Stacie sighed as Chloe followed her into her bedroom.

“You didn’t have to call her. I would have when I got home.” Chloe frowned in confusion.

“Wait, are you mad at me or something?” Stacie slowly sat down on the bed and it took everything within Chloe to not help her sit when she noticed how off balance Stacie was.

“No, I just…we both know Aubrey didn’t need to receive a call like that and be worried.”

“She would have been livid with us both if she didn’t know. Besides, she deserved to know. Wouldn’t you want to know if it was the other way around?”

“Of course, I just…I don’t want her to be scared. I am fine and she shouldn’t have to miss her meeting for me. That was an important meeting and now it is all messed up.” Chloe slowly nodded.

“Right, which is why the meeting was yesterday. She did amazing and was just meeting with them today to sign the papers. Remember,” asked Chloe, but she already knew the answer. Stacie closed her eyes for a second and nodded as parts of a conversation she had with an excited Aubrey filled her mind.

“Right, of course, I just um…I didn’t want her to worry. That’s all.”

“Stace, are you sure you are…”

“I am fine, Chlo. I’ll be down in a minute.” Chloe took the hint and gave her a small smile before leaving her alone. Stacie waited until she was gone before slowly making it to her feet again. Her body was already aching even more. Amir warned her that she took most of the impact when the three of them fell and she could feel her ribs, shoulders, and neck already stiffening. She sat down at her desk and opened one of her textbooks. She found a page full of equations she answered months ago with ease, but the numbers jumbled in her mind. Her heart began to race as she closed her eyes and tried to solve the first equation. Usually, the numbers fell in place with ease. She didn’t even have to think about it for long, the answer would easily appear to her, almost on instinct, but this time was different. She slammed the book closed and pinched the bridge of her nose as it became hard to concentrate. There was a knock on her door and she groaned.

“Yea,” she called and Derek frowned at her state.

“Why are you sitting at your desk in only a towel?”

“I was just thinking about something. Hey, can you hand me a pair of pajama pants and a shirt? That dresser over there, second drawer.” He opened the drawer and handed her the clothes with a smile.

“Need anything else?”

“Uh, what time is it? Chloe said Bree was coming in tonight.”

“Just past four, we wanted to know if you were hungry.” Stacie thought for a moment. She had an early breakfast and yet the thought of eating made her stomach queasy.

“No thanks, maybe later, it is a bit early for dinner.”

“Yea, we know, we just wanted to check. EJ and I are going to check into the hotel and then we will be back. Mom and dad will be here in the morning, so we figured we would stay the night and…”

“You don’t have to do that, really. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair to put any of the other girls out of their rooms.”

“We all discussed it. Jessica and Ashley offered their room. We really want to be here for you, Stace.”

“Look, I appreciate that, but I don’t need everyone hovering. Thank you for coming but you can go back to the conference and….”

“That isn’t happening. I know that you like to deal with stuff in your own way, but we aren't going anywhere, Stacie. We’ll stay at the hotel tonight if you really want us to, but we will be right back over in the morning, understand?”

“Got it,” she mumbled and he slowly nodded.

“We’ll go check in and then be back. See you in a bit,” he said before leaving and she ran a hand through her hair. She was frustrated, but confused by what. She didn’t want to think about it long though and decided to focus on getting dressed instead.

 

Beca hadn’t taken her eyes off of Stacie since she came downstairs an hour ago. She could sense that something was off even before Chloe told her about Stacie being upset with her for calling Aubrey. The twins left to check into their hotel, along with Jene. Dom stayed behind and was quietly observing everything from a stool in the corner of the kitchen as the rest of the Bellas tried to decide what to eat for dinner. It was always a bit of a task for them, but Beca noticed how irked the conversation was making Stacie.

“What about Chinese,” asked Emily and Stacie shrugged.

“Whatever you guys want is fine,” said Stacie. Flo handed Emily another menu as Amy searched restaurants on her phone. Cynthia Rose pointed to another one.

“We haven’t had Indian in forever. You love this place, Stace,” said Cynthia Rose.

“It doesn’t matter. Whatever you want,” said Stacie. Flo pointed to a menu and Emily nodded.

“Oh yea, you love this place. We can get….”

“For fuck sake, someone just pick a place. I don’t care where or what, just choose,” snapped Stacie and everyone glanced at one another as Dom slowly stood up. Beca shook her head at him and he sat back down. She nodded toward the door and the others left her and Stacie alone. Dom left as well, but stayed close by. Stacie took in a shaky breath and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“I am sorry. I just don’t give a shit about eating right now and everyone is on my back about it and…”

“Hey, it is cool. So then is that a strong no to Indian food,” teased Beca and Stacie smiled.

“I didn’t mean to snap at Em like that.”

“Aw, it’s fine. We all know she has a tough skin. She has to in order to be around us weirdos.” They both sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Stacie spoke again.

“I meant to ask earlier. Has anyone heard from Bradley or Ada? Are they okay?”

“Yea, actually Ada called to see how you were. I told her your phone got messed up in the lab. She is doing well. Her parents drove in to see her. Bradley has a broken arm. That’s all I know about him though.”

“Good, I mean not the broken arm.”

“Um, he was always a douche to you so the broken arm isn’t too much of a bummer.” Stacie giggled.

“Thanks for still being you, Bec.”

“Of course, now, while you may not be hungry, the rest of us are, so how about we solve this once and for all before we turn to cannibalism. Indian or Chinese,” asked Beca as she held up two menus.

“Chinese, Derek isn’t a fan of Indian.”

“Then Chinese it is. See, between the two of us, we could solve world hunger.” Stacie shook her head in amusement, but then winced. Beca noticed the two unopened bottles of pills on the counter.

“You want your medicine?”

“No, I am good. Let’s go tell the others what we have decided.” Beca nodded and followed her into the living room where the rest of the Bellas were talking about the Halloween party they wanted to have next month. They stopped talking the moment Stacie and Beca walked in. Stacie smirked.

“Wow, I am that much of a buzz kill, huh? Em, I am sorry for…”

“Hey, no biggie. I know I can be annoying sometimes.” Stacie wrapped an arm around her as she sat down.

“You aren't annoying. I am just in a bad mood.” Amy smirked.

“Well getting blown up can do that to a person,” said Amy and the others groaned.

“Filter, Amy,” reminded Chloe and Stacie looked down. Beca laughed, which seemed to break the tension in the room.

“Actually, I already tried that joke at the hospital. I got you beat, Ames,” teased Beca and Chloe giggled as Amy huffed.

“No fair, I’ve been waiting to say that for hours,” said Amy and Stacie laughed at that. The rest of them laughed as well. There was a knock on the door and Jessica, Ashley, and Flo perked up.

“The boys are back,” said Ashley.

“I’ll get it,” said Jessica and Flo followed them to the door as Stacie smirked.

“Well, now you know why you never met my brothers.”

“Seriously,” asked Beca.

“Once, when I was twelve, I had a sleepover. I planned the entire night out and yet all my friends spent the night drooling over them and asking me about their girlfriends.”

“Don’t worry, Stace, we will make sure the drool is kept to a minimum,” assured Chloe and Amy scoffed.

“Uh, speak for yourselves. They are just my type. Sexy, rich, successful, and there are two of them so I won’t get bored,” said Amy.

“They both have girlfriends,” said Stacie. Lilly smiled slyly.

“But not wives,” said Lilly and Stacie couldn’t help but laugh.

“Not you too, Lilly,” she asked and Lilly shrugged. EJ and Derek walked in with several boxes of pizza and Derek smiled sheepishly.

“I know you said you weren't hungry, but EJ insisted,” said Derek and Ashley sighed dreamily.

“That was so sweet of you to take care of your sister like that,” said Ashley.

“And for bringing enough for all of us,” added Jessica.

“Oh you are definitely not staying here tonight,” said Stacie and Derek chuckled as EJ frowned in confusion. Everyone but Stacie began to eat and Beca put on a movie. It was in the background as they made small talk, but Stacie wasn’t concentrated on any of it. Instead, her mind wandered back to that moment in the lab as it replayed in her head. The moment she heard Ada question what Bradley was mixing, the pit of dread in her stomach, the crackling and hissing right before the louder explosion. She remembered waking up for a brief moment. She was still in the lab and wandered why it was raining in there. Her ears were ringing and she didn’t think she could move. She was exhausted and a faint voice in her head told her to stay awake in case she had a concussion. It sounded an awful lot like her mother, but she couldn’t stay awake. She didn’t want to fight it and for a split second, she didn’t feel in control of her body and wondered if that was how it felt before a person died.

“Stace, you okay,” asked Beca and Stacie blinked several times to snap out of her thoughts. Everyone was staring at her and she blushed.

“Yea, um, can I use your phone? I want to check on Ada.” Beca nodded and gave her the phone. Stacie excused herself and went outside to the backyard to make the phone call. It rang a couple of times before Ada picked up.

“Beca, is Stacie okay?”

“Hey, Ada, um, it is Stacie.”

“Stacie, hi! Oh my God, how are you? Are you okay? Stupid question, how are you feeling?”

“I am okay. I got released from the hospital this afternoon. What about you?”

“I am good. I got really lucky, thanks to you. I have some cuts, bruises, and a bump on the head, but nothing too bad. I saw Bradley. His arm is in a cast, but he got to go home too.”

“Yea, I heard he broke it. I still can't believe that happened.”

“He is such an idiot. I knew he was hell bent on proving that he could beat you, but I didn’t think he would be that careless. He said he thought he was grabbing magnesium sulfate.”

“We always said the preppy would pull a Zack Morris and get us all in trouble,” teased Stacie and Ada laughed.

“Right? He is lucky you A.C. Slatered and saved our asses.”

“I prefer to think of myself as a Jessie Spano.”

“I think that’s fair,” giggled Ada. They were both quiet for a moment.

“It goes without saying, but you really are a hero, Stace. Thank you for saving us. Thank you for saving my life.” Stacie was surprised when a tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away as she nodded.

“Yea, anytime. Um, I am glad I could help. I won’t keep you too long. I just wanted to check in, see how you were doing.”

“I am glad you called. I was worried about you too.”

“I am fine. At least this should get us out of lab assignments for a couple of weeks,” she teased and Ada laughed.

“I don’t know. Anderson is a hardass.”

“Good point. Well, I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”

“Thanks for calling and…you know...everything. Bye.” They both hung up and she walked back inside. She immediately perked up when she heard the voice that always made her heart flutter. Her body was moving toward it before she even had to tell it to and she sighed in relief when she saw Aubrey placing her luggage by the front door. Jene smiled at Stacie before leaving the two of them alone. The moment Aubrey saw her, she ran over to her and Stacie didn’t realize how much she needed her until that moment. The moment she was in Aubrey’s arms, she allowed herself to let go. She let go of the tension in her shoulders and frustration. She allowed herself to cry and be vulnerable and scared. She buried her face in Aubrey’s neck and just cried as her girlfriend held her.

“Bree,” she sobbed and it took Stacie a moment to realize Aubrey was crying too.

“I am so happy you are okay. I love you, Stace. I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” Their eyes locked and Stacie tenderly kissed her. Aubrey was gentle at first, but Stacie was having none of that. Soon, their kiss grew more passionate and Stacie groaned when Aubrey pulled back.

“Tell me the truth, how are you feeling?” Stacie was about to recite the line she told everyone else about being fine, but Aubrey arched an eyebrow at her, daring her to lie.

“Tired and sore and my head hurts…a lot,” she admitted.

“When is the last time you took your medicine?” Stacie smiled sheepishly at her.

“Um, I haven’t.”

“Okay, when did you eat? You can't take stuff like that on an empty stomach.”

“Haven’t done that either.”

“Stace, what the hell?”

“I know, it is just everyone has been like, oh you need to eat. Oh you look tired.”

“So you decided to suffer in silence as a form of protesting them being concerned and loving you,” questioned Aubrey.

“Of course not, I just…I don’t know. It has been a lot today. Everything has been a lot,” confessed Stacie as she looked down. Aubrey kissed her forehead.

“I get that, but you need to eat, so how about we go relax on the couch? We’ll eat. You’ll take your meds and then we can get in bed,” she suggested and Stacie smiled mischievously.

“Will you be my naughty nurse?”

“Well, I guess I don’t have to ask if the Hunter is alright.” Stacie laughed and sighed happily.

“I am so happy you are here, baby.”

“Me too, now come on. You need food.” Aubrey laced their fingers together and Stacie followed her into the living room where the others were waiting on them with bright smiles.

“See, they watch me like a hawk,” said Stacie and Aubrey laughed.

“Okay, yea, that is a bit creepy,” agreed Aubrey. Chloe hugged her.

“Welcome back, Bree,” said Chloe.

“Thanks for keeping me in the know, bestie,” said Aubrey and Chloe winked at her.

“Always here to fulfill my best friend duties,” assured Chloe. EJ and Derek stood up and Stacie kissed the top of Aubrey’s hand as her brothers approached them.

“Aubrey, this is EJ and Derek, my brothers. EJ, Derek, make her uncomfortable and I will kill you.” Derek feigned innocence.

“Whatever do you mean, dear sister,” teased Derek and EJ smiled.

“Hey, I am the one that made sure she was on a jet to get here. It is nice to finally meet you, Aubrey,” said EJ as they shook hands.

“Likewise, I have heard a lot about you.”

“I assure you only 90 percent of it is true,” said Derek as he shook her hand. Stacie sat down on one of the couches and Chloe handed Aubrey a plate full of pizza. Beca handed her Stacie’s medicine and Stacie playfully glared at her best friend.

“Traitor,” said Stacie and Beca blew her a kiss. Aubrey sat down beside her girlfriend and placed the plate of pizza in her lap. Stacie grabbed a slice and took a small bite before taking another. She didn’t realize how hungry she was and Aubrey smiled at her.

“What do you want to drink, babe,” asked Aubrey and Stacie thought for a moment.

“Hey, Em, do we have any more of that lemonade you bought before,” asked Stacie and Emily happily nodded.

“Yea, I will go get you some. Be right back,” said Emily. Stacie placed her head on Aubrey’s shoulder as the others made small chat with EJ and Derek. Emily handed Stacie a glass of lemonade and Stacie smiled appreciatively.

“Thank you, Em.”

“No problem, I am glad you are feeling a bit better,” said Emily before sitting back down by Flo and joining in on the conversation. Aubrey handed her the two bottles of medicine and Stacie began reading the instructions, but winced. Dom and Jene were the first to notice and he took a step toward Stacie, but Aubrey noticed as well. She cupped Stacie’s face.

“Hey, I got it. You relax, no reading or focusing too much on anything tonight, okay?”

“Bree, I am…”

“Really,” challenged Aubrey and Stacie gave a pout, but couldn’t hide her smile when Aubrey kissed the tip of her nose. Aubrey read the instructions and opened the bottles.

“This one is for your headache and you take it once a day. You can take one or two of the pain pills every six hours as needed. Do you need one or two?”

“One,” mumbled Stacie as she winced and Aubrey gave her a look.

“Fine, fine, yea, I need two for now.”

“I know you hate taking pain meds, but it is only until you feel better. You are the scientist. You know you can't recover if you don’t rest and are constantly in pain.”

“You’re right. I need some sleep,” conceded Stacie.

“Are you done with the pizza?” Stacie looked down at the plate. She ate all but the crust off of one of the slices and wasn’t hungry anymore.

“Yea, I am done. Still thirsty, but I am exhausted.”

“Come on, let’s go to bed. We will see everyone in the morning,” said Aubrey and Stacie sighed in relief as she swallowed the pills, took a sip of her lemonade, and stood up with Aubrey. Aubrey grabbed the glass of lemonade and smiled at Chloe.

“Will you bring up some glasses of water, Chlo?”

“Totes and I will bring up your luggage too. Don’t worry about a thing,” assured Chloe. Aubrey winked at her before slipping her hand in Stacie’s.

“Goodnight everyone, EJ, Derek, it was nice meeting you. We can talk more tomorrow,” said Aubrey and they waved at her.

“Goodnight, sure thing,” said EJ. Derek mouthed ‘thank you’ to her and she smiled as she helped Stacie upstairs. Stacie practically collapsed on her bed and Aubrey did as well.

“Finally just you and me,” mumbled Stacie as her eyes began to close and Aubrey giggled. She got under the covers and Stacie cuddled into her arms.

“I love you so much and if you ever scare me like that again, I will withhold sex for a month.” Stacie gasped and pouted.

“It wasn’t even my fault. Preppy Bradley did it.”

“Oh trust me I am going to kill him if I ever see him. He has always been a jerk to you and totally inappropriate and now this? He is a dead man.”

“You are really hot when you get all protective,” said Stacie as her hand slipped under Aubrey’s shirt.

“No physical exertion, including sex,” reminded Aubrey.

“Damn, how did you even know that?”

“You really think I wouldn’t know what your restrictions are? Give me some credit, Stace.”

“Stupid bestie of yours.”

“Actually, it was Beca.”

“Stupid bestie of mine…wait, since when do you and Beca talk?”

“We talk, just not often, but she and Chloe were both giving me updates. You had everyone really worried, so sleep and get better so you can be released by the doctor and I can show you just how happy I am you are okay.”

“Yes, ma’am,” giggled Stacie. Aubrey stroked her hair and Stacie snuggled up closer to her, feeling as if she was finally home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t help it. I love Aubrey being the one that Stacie feels safe enough to open up to and be vulnerable with. Staubrey makes me swoon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of this chapter was inspired by totalbellatrash’s Midnight Musings (the ones Aubrey doesn’t want Stacie to hear).

Stacie groaned when she woke up the next morning to a throbbing in her head and a sore body. Everything hurt and she rolled over in bed to reach out for Aubrey, but found an empty space. She jolted awake and winced when she sat up took quickly. Her heart began to race as the events from the previous day filled her mind. Hurried footsteps filled her ears and Dom ran into the room as Stacie began to panic.

“Where is Aubrey,” she questioned as she looked around the room.

“Stace, breathe, she is in the shower. She had a long flight yesterday, do you remember yesterday?” Stacie gulped as she nodded. He handed her a glass of water and her medication, but she shook her head.

“No, I don’t want that right now. I can wait.”

“Stace, hey, baby, are you okay,” asked Aubrey as she rushed into the room. Stacie sighed in relief and nodded as Aubrey sat down beside her wearing one of Stacie’s old high school shirts.

“You stole that,” said Stacie as she began to calm down and Aubrey giggled.

“You steal from me all the time.”

“Yea, but you aren't supposed to catch me,” teased Stacie. Dom watched the two of them interact and was a bit taken aback. He knew that Stacie was serious about Aubrey, but he had never seen her like that before, especially since he did his best to steer clear of the couple to not invade their privacy. Aubrey looked up at him and frowned in confusion. He quickly recovered.

“She says she doesn’t want to take her medicine yet,” he informed as he put the pills and glass of water back on the nightstand. Aubrey sighed.

“Stace…”

“I am starving and I should eat first. You know, if you really loved me, you would make me pancakes.” Aubrey smirked.

“Pancakes?”

“With extra blueberries,” Stacie added with the grin she knew Aubrey couldn’t resist.

“Well put me to work why don’t you?”

“Hey, I tried to get in your pants first, but you gotta give me something here.” Aubrey playfully glared at her.

“You better be glad you are cute,” she said before kissing her.

“And injured, I deserve pancakes,” said Stacie and Aubrey winked at her. Stacie sighed happily as Aubrey left to go fix breakfast. She frowned when she noticed Dom staring at her in disbelief.

“What,” she asked and he chuckled as he shook his head.

“I just never thought in all my years Stacie Conrad would be whipped.” She huffed.

“I am not whipped. She is the one making me pancakes. She is whipped,” she declared, but then covered her mouth and looked toward the door.

“You don’t think she heard me do you,” she whispered and Dom laughed.

“Wow.”

“Hey, don’t even start and if you keep it up, I will make sure you don’t get any pancakes,” she threatened and he put up his hands in surrender as he backed out of the room.

“That’s what I thought,” she giggled. He exited the room and she winced as she removed the device from her temple that monitored her while she slept. She took in a deep breath and decided to take her medicine before getting out of bed. She wanted to go spend time with her girlfriend to help her cook breakfast and knew she needed to take at least the headache medication if she was going to be able to do that.

 

Helen and Eric rushed into the Escalade waiting for them when they got off the private jet. Jene was waiting inside and smiled sympathetically at them.

“She is alright and seems to be doing better now that Aubrey is here. EJ and Derek are heading over to eat breakfast with her and the rest of her friends. Eva is going to take care of any press issues and make sure everything stays under the radar. We know you want Stacie to feel safe at Barden and she prefers her privacy,” informed Jene.

“Were we able to get the extra equipment and medication,” asked Helen.

“Yes, it arrived a few hours ago. You should have everything you need,” assured Jene.

“Thank you, Jene. We are so relieved you were here,” said Eric.

“We watched the footage from the laboratory and noticed what you did as well. Stacie never mentioned that she was being harassed by a classmate,” said Helen and Eric gritted his teeth.

“That’s because she knows I would kill him,” Eric practically growled and Jene smiled slyly.

“What would you like to do about it,” she asked and Helen shook her head.

“It isn’t the right time to take action. Besides, maybe the near death experience knocked some sense into the boy. Tell the school we do not plan to press any charges or conduct an investigation. Whatever action they take to rectify the situation is fine at the moment. The main thing is that everyone involved is alright. Let’s table talks of better safety precautions in the laboratory for now as well. We just want to focus on our daughter,” informed Helen.

“I will let them know. The dean wanted you to know Stacie can take as much time as she needs before returning to school,” said Jene.

“How is she, really,” asked Eric.

“I am not a doctor and you would know better than me, but I have seen behavior that resembles hers after trauma. She is a bit jumpy, on edge, and suffering from headaches. Her mood changed throughout the evening, but she was much better once Aubrey arrived. She lashed out at a couple of friends before that though.”

“It sounds like Post-Concussion Syndrome, like Amir said she may have after such trauma. It is actually quite common,” said Helen.

“Especially when you add in the traumatic experience of the explosion, our poor baby girl,” said Eric as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Dom said she woke up in a panic this morning. Aubrey was in the shower, so she woke up alone. Dom couldn’t calm her down, but she was fine once Aubrey came into the room,” explained Jene.

“It makes sense. She and Aubrey have a very strong relationship. I will run some tests and we will go from there, but Amir believes she just needs a few days to recover. I cannot wait to see her. This has been the longest trip of my life,” said Helen and Eric nodded in agreement as he hugged his wife.

They arrived in front of the Bella House half an hour later and sighed in relief when they heard Stacie’s laugh as they walked in. She was in the kitchen with her friends, Dom, and her brothers eating pancakes. EJ and Derek smiled when they saw their parents and hugged them. Stacie walked over to them and Helen wrapped her in a comforting hug.

“Hello, my love,” said Helen and Stacie kissed her cheek. Eric hugged them both and Aubrey took in a deep breath as she stood up to greet them. While she met Stacie’s parents before, she was still nervous, but their hugs put her at ease.

“Thank you for being here for her. She is very lucky to have you,” said Helen and Aubrey beamed with pride.

“I am definitely the lucky one. Are you hungry, we were just finishing up breakfast,” said Aubrey and Helen smiled kindly at her.

“We ate before we landed. We are just happy to finally be here. Sweetie, let’s get you checked out and then you can enjoy more time with your friends,” suggested Helen, but Stacie frowned.

“What, no, I don’t want to be poked and prodded right now.” Eric frowned in confusion.

“Stace, it is important for you to get another assessment to make sure you are alright,” he reminded and she huffed as she crossed her arms.

“Amir said I was fine.”

“Amir said you could go home because he knew we would run some tests when we arrived. We aren’t going to the hospital or anything. We have the equipment we need here. It will be painless,” assured Helen, but Stacie shook her head.

“No, I am fine. Why is no one listening to me? I don’t want to be tested or assessed, mother. I want to be left alone. Why is that so hard? Why won’t everyone just leave me the hell alone,” shouted Stacie and everyone was quiet. She placed her face in her hands and Aubrey slowly reached out for her. Stacie hugged her and sobbed into her shoulder as Beca ushered the rest of the Bellas, Dom, and her brothers out of the kitchen. Helen glanced over at her husband and he nodded. He slowly walked over to Stacie and rubbed her back.

“Why don’t you want mom to run the tests, Stace? What is really going on,” asked Eric and Stacie took in a shaky breath. Aubrey stroked her hair and Stacie looked down.

“Last night, I tried to solve an equation from one of my books and I couldn’t. Then, I couldn’t read the pill bottles. I couldn’t even remember that it was Friday. What if something is permanently damaged in my head? My brain is the one thing I rely on the most and what if I messed it up?” Eric hugged her and Aubrey tried to stay composed. She wiped a tear from her eye and Helen slowly nodded.

“I understand that fear, but Stacie, look at me,” said Helen and Stacie looked up at her mother.

“What you are feeling is perfectly normal. You have been through a traumatic experience, you have a severe concussion, and your body needs time to recover. Even that amazing brain of yours needs time to reboot, so how about we get you checked out and see what is going on,” suggested her mother and Stacie slowly nodded.

“Can Bree come,” she asked and Eric winked at her.

“Of course, we know you wouldn’t have it any other way,” soothed Eric and Aubrey sighed in relief when Stacie reached out for her. She wrapped an arm around her girlfriend and they walked into the den where Jene and Dom set up the equipment. Stacie sat down on the couch and Aubrey gave her an encouraging smile as Helen opened up the two cases full of equipment. Stacie’s eyes widened.

“When did you have time to stop at the lab? I know most of this tech isn’t even on the market yet,” said Stacie and Eric kissed her cheek.

“We had them shipped in last night, only the best of the best for our baby girl. Look, did it turn out the way you wanted it to,” he asked as he handed Stacie a black glove with thin wires intricately woven throughout it.

“Take it for a test drive,” he encouraged and she put the glove on before turning it on. The wires glowed with green lights and she gasped when she felt the slight buzzing flow through her hand and up her arm.

“It works,” she said and Helen beamed with happiness as she checked the screen.

“And everything checks out, no nerve damage,” said Helen. Stacie giggled at Aubrey’s look of confusion.

“It’s a portable nerve conduction test. Dad and I were trying to find ways to conduct tests like EMGs without as much equipment and to cut down on time. The nerves in your hands are a great place to start so the glove connects to them and currents test the nerve-endings in your body with a few pulses of electricity,” explained Stacie. Helen handed her a band to place on her forehead and Stacie gulped.

“You have nothing to be nervous about,” assured Helen.

“What if something is wrong,” asked Stacie.

“Then we will know and be able to solve the problem like we always do,” assured Eric and Stacie took in a deep breath before placing the u-shaped device around her forehead. She reached out for Aubrey’s hand and Aubrey immediately took it. Helen started the machine and Stacie closed her eyes as she tried to relax.

“I am going to ask you some questions now, my love, okay,” said Helen and Stacie nodded.

“What is your name?”

“Stacie Conrad.”

“Your full name?”

“Aw, come on,” groaned Stacie and Helen giggled.

“Answer the question,” she said and Stacie sighed.

“Anastacia Marie Conrad,” grumbled Stacie.

“Anastacia Marie,” teased Aubrey and Stacie smirked.

“Don’t even think about it, Posen,” she warned, which made Aubrey giggle. Helen smiled at their interaction.

“We’ll start off slow. What is the unit symbol for candela,” questioned Helen.

“That’s starting off slow,” whispered Aubrey and Eric nodded.

“For Stacie, this is listing the alphabet,” said Eric.

“Capital C, lowercase d,” answered Stacie.

“Good, what is the base quantity?”

“Luminous intensity.”

“What is Le Chatelier’s Principle?

“If a dynamic equilibrium is disturbed by changing the conditions, the position of equilibrium moves to counteract the change.”

“What is the formula for mechanical advantage?”

“Output force divided by input force.”

“What are the six components of the brain?”

“The frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, cerebellum and the brain stem.”

“Which component controls your breathing?”

“The brain stem.”

“Where were you born?”

“Portland, Oregon.”

“What are your brothers’ middle names?”

“Eric Douglass Conrad Junior and Derek Lucas Conrad.”

“Tell me something you did last week.”

“I saw Troye Sivan in concert with Bree.”

“And who is Bree?” Stacie’s eyes opened as she smiled at her girlfriend.

“The love of my life.” Aubrey kissed her hand and Helen smiled as she typed onto her iPad. The device on Stacie’s forehead blinked green.

“You passed with flying colors. Your brain activity is on par with your normal functions.”

“Then why is it hard for me to read and recall things?” Eric wrapped an arm around his daughter.

“Stacie, you were in an explosion and it hasn’t even been 24 hours. Your brain needs time to heal,” explained Eric and Helen nodded in agreement.

“You are simply dealing with symptoms of your concussion and the trauma you experienced. That is all, my love. You are going to be just fine,” assured Helen and Stacie sighed in relief as her parents hugged her. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She was so scared after waking up in the hospital, but it was good to know that she was going to be okay.

 

Dom placed the rest of the equipment in the back of the Escalade and synced his watch with the GPS trackers on the SUV and the bags. Eva giggled at him as he surveyed the car.

“Wow, double checking that I have done my job,” asked Eva as she leaned against the hood. He noticed a small black car down the block and gave an impressed nod.

“I thought they were headed back to Portland since the three of us are here.”

“Everything has been kept under wraps, but we can't be too careful. Jene is staying with Eric and Helen. Daniel and Sanai will stay with the boys and I am running surveillance of the area.”

“What about the press?”

“It’s been handled. According to reports, a small fire broke out in the laboratory. The footage of the incident has been scrubbed from any database that could be leaked to the media. I spoke with Ada Daveed’s family and they are just relieved everyone is safe.”

“What about the Ellington boy? He is the cause of all this. It doesn’t seem right that he just gets away with it. He could have killed them all and has been threatened by Stacie since the beginning. I should have stepped in, but she wanted to deal with it in her own way.” Eva winked at him with a smile as Eric and Helen exited the house with Jene.

“It has been handled,” assured Eva. She and Dom opened the doors of the SUV for Eric, Helen, and Jene.

“We are going to check into the hotel and get some rest. We managed to talk Stacie into taking a nap. Dom, you should go home and get some rest as well. The boys are staying. I think we all know they love the attention they are getting at the moment from Stacie’s friends. Daniel and Sanai are close by. Go regroup,” suggested Helen, but Dom shook his head.

“I am okay and do not want to head to Atlanta just yet,” he informed. She glanced over at Eric and Jene before getting into the car with her husband. Jene whispered something in Eva’s ear and she gave a nod before getting into the driver seat and starting the car. Dom frowned in confusion when Jene stood beside him and watched them drive away. She synced her watch with the SUV and devices inside before turning to him.

“Let’s go for a walk around the block. It will give us a chance to do a sweep just in case someone from the press is still investigating the story.” He slowly nodded and followed her down the sidewalk. They walked in silence for a few minutes, which made him nervous. Jene was the head of security for the Conrad Family and was a fierce protector. While she looked simply like a well-dressed middle aged woman in her black dress and heels, everyone on the team knew that she was the deadliest when provoked. She placed a hand on his shoulder to put him at ease.

“Relax, Dom, you are not in trouble,” she assured and he smirked.

“Then why do I feel like I am talking with the principal? You were originally supposed to go with them back to the hotel.”

“They are in good hands with Eva and there is more security at the hotel. I agree with your assessment of the situation. While this was all an accident, we should be more on guard with all the Conrads in one city. I suppose that is why this talk is a bit ironic.”

“And what talk is that?”

“Once Stacie graduates this year, no matter if she stays in Atlanta or not, your assignment will change. Liam is retiring to spend time with his family and will no longer run the facility in Portland. We are offering you the position.” He frowned in confusion.

“What about Stacie?”

“The same rules that apply for the boys will apply for her now. I always believed it was a bit of a double standard in the first place, but I understood why. Stacie is the youngest, their only daughter, and her intelligence could make her a target, but the boys never had a personal bodyguard that stayed so close while they were at MIT.”

“Have I done something wrong?”

“Of course not,” she assured, but he stopped and gave her a look.

“Really because it feels like I am being punished for something. I just had to save her life and now you are telling me she no longer needs security,” he challenged and Jene gave him a look right back. He quickly looked down and started walking again with her.

“I apologize, I am just confused,” he said and Jene slowly nodded.

“I have always taken you as someone that likes a direct approach, so this is it. Stacie doesn’t need you hovering over her and you need space to get over your feelings for her.”

“My feelings for her? I don’t have….”

“Please do not insult my intelligence and you are not being accused of any improper behavior. I am curious why you were so close to Barden when the explosion happened though, at a café by campus?”

“I was going to speak with her about something that happened last weekend.”

“You mean why you were in attendance at the concert or was there another issue?”

“That was a Level 3 threat and we were all on guard.”

“And yet at no point in the protocol did it require you to make contact. Look, I understand and you are not being punished. Stacie is a beautiful young woman. The Conrad kids all inherited the warmth and charisma of their parents and Stacie reminds me quite a bit of Helen. She is mesmerizing and before you know it, you are thinking of her in ways that may not always be appropriate in your position. It can compromise you,” she admitted and Dom stopped again, this time with confusion and surprise etched on his face. He knew small details about the guards of the family, like how Eva was engaged, Sanai and Daniel were the only married couple he had ever seen work together in such a profession, and Liam had two children and a wife at home, but Jene was always a private woman.

“You…I mean Helen and…” He cleared his throat and she giggled.

“I can practically see the wheels turning in your head right now. I have never and would never cross a line with any member of this family. I would die for them all, but yes I started to realize a couple of years ago that I was growing too attached. The false alarm in Dubai shook me. I was so focused on Helen that I allowed Eric to be made vulnerable.”

“But nothing happened, he was fine and the package was simply a gift from friends.”

“But it could have been more. After that, I assigned Eva to them while I took a brief vacation. Helen always told me I worked too much and I figured she may be right, so I took a few weeks off. I cleared my head and realized that in order to do my job, I needed to create more distance. I also met someone while backpacking through Europe.”

“Are you two still together,” he asked and she smiled as they began walking again.

“Yes and it is true. Sometimes to get over someone, you must get under someone else.” He smiled at the joke and couldn’t stop from laughing. It caught him off guard since Jene rarely ever joked and she giggled as well.

“I am happy now and I can do my job with a clear mind. Helen will always be special to me, just like Stacie is special to you, but I will tell you what I had to tell myself. If you want to protect her and always make sure she is safe, you may need to accept that she doesn’t always need you around. Helen and Eric like their privacy and prefer not to be hovered over. It is where Stacie gets it from. The only reason you are even here is because Eric would have obsessed over her safety all of her freshman year, but Anastacia is no longer a child.”

“She was just in an explosion.”

“And if not for her quick response, she would have been even more injured whether you were on campus, in Atlanta, or anywhere else. You’ve taught her well, so stay close while she recovers. Make sure she has the senior year that she wants and when she moves on from Barden, so will you.” He slowly nodded. He knew she was right and had for quite some time. His life was dedicated to Stacie and he realized it wasn’t just because he was sworn to protect her.

 

Aubrey’s eyes slowly opened and she smiled as she pulled Stacie closer in her arms. Her girlfriend was still asleep and resting peacefully. Aubrey stroked her hair and noticed the circular device on Stacie’s temple. She knew the Conrads made medical equipment that most of the medical world had never seen before, but she never expected to see it, let alone for it to be used on Stacie. Stacie assured her the faint blue light on the device meant her brain waves were in their normal pattern. If the light turned red, her parents and Dom would be alerted. Aubrey kissed her forehead and watched Stacie sleep as her emotions began to get the best of her. She managed to keep them at bay when she arrived and focused on making sure Stacie was taking care of herself, but in that moment with the love of her life safe in her arms, she allowed the relief to wash over her.

“I thought I lost you,” she whispered as she continued to watch her sleep.

“Even saying that out loud terrifies me. Chloe says I need to talk about my feelings more, but you know that has always been difficult for me. Thank the general for that. After my mother died, he bottled everything up and somewhere along the way I was expected to as well. Maybe that is why it is easier for me to have these talks with you when you are asleep. It is how I realized I was in love with you and we weren't just hooking up. We were in the cabin and I woke up with you in my arms early one morning, kind of like this, and I just started talking about how happy you make me, how everything is better when you are with me. I was even angry with you for making me fall so easily. Damn your smile, beauty, confidence, and intellect, Stacie Conrad. It isn’t fair how deeply you make me love you.” She quietly giggled to herself as she thought about the first time she saw Stacie and how floored she was by her beauty and confidence at auditions.

“Loving you is the easiest part of my life though. It makes everything else worth it. When I got the call from Chloe, it is like my world shattered. I’d been so preoccupied with the resort and the meeting in Denver lately. You know what I thought about when she told me you were in the hospital? I can't believe I cancelled dinner with you a couple of weeks ago. It was such a strange thought. We always have dinner together and I even made up for it by getting us the tickets to the concert, but I realized that any moment I am not with you is a lost moment. I thought I lost out on all the moments I want with you, Stace. I want every moment with you. I know we said we would have the talk about our future later, but I am not going to wait this time. I wanted to say it over the summer but I was afraid of moving too fast or you not wanting the same thing…of you not wanting me the same way,” confessed Aubrey as tears filled her eyes. Stacie’s eyes fluttered open and Aubrey gasped as Stacie cupped her cheek.

“I will always want you and every moment with you, Bree,” she whispered before tenderly kissing her.

“How much of that did you hear?” Stacie smiled sheepishly and Aubrey rolled her eyes.

“Great,” she pouted.

“How often do you have these conversations with me in my sleep?” Aubrey shrugged.

“Just sometimes when I can't find the words to say when you are awake.”

“Hmmm, I need to start recording us while we sleep,” teased Stacie and she laughed when Aubrey nuzzled her neck.

“Oh yea, you want to eavesdrop on my private conversations?”

“They are with me. I should be in on them,” giggled Stacie and Aubrey gazed lovingly into her eyes.

“I will do a better job of saying how I feel when you are awake.”

“You do an amazing job, Bree. I just can't believe I have never heard you before.”

“You are usually quite the heavy sleeper.”

“I get amazing sleep after amazing orgasms.”

“Good to know,” said Aubrey with a smile before kissing her again. Stacie pouted when Aubrey pulled back.

“I can't believe the no sex rule still applies.”

“Just for the rest of the weekend. I can't believe you asked your mom about it.”

“Well if she is going to go into doctor mode on me, I need to ask her doctor things.” Aubrey shook with mirth.

“I don’t know who was more uncomfortable, me or your dad.”

“He is such a hypocrite. Do you know how often I have heard them having sex?”

“I am guessing more than you would like.”

“Um, try more than anyone should have to. Those two are disgusting and way too old to go at it like bunnies.”

“At least I know what we have to look forward to in the future.” Stacie began stroking Aubrey’s hair and nodded.

“Definitely.”

“I know it is only September and you don’t graduate until June, but what are your plans…”

“Bree, you have to know that you are always in my plans. I am going to choose Georgia Tech for grad school and when your lease is up in August, I figured maybe we could get a place together. I know the traveling back and forth from the lodge can get tiring but…”

“Now that I own it, I plan on promoting Camron. She can run the daily affairs and I can spend less time there. I will still need to be there often, but no more late nights or missed dinners. I promise.”

“Bree, you are going to miss dinner sometimes. I am going to miss dinner sometimes too, but we always make it up to each other and that’s all I ask.” Aubrey laced their fingers together.

“So, did we just have the future talk we have been putting off?” Stacie happily nodded.

“Yea and all it took was me almost being blown to pieces.” Aubrey gave her a look and Stacie looked down as she took in a shaky breath.

“I don’t care if it is you, Amy, Beca, or anyone else, that will never be funny to me and I know it isn’t funny to you either. Are you ready to talk about it?” Stacie swallowed thickly.

“After the explosion, I woke up for a second when I was still in the lab. I could feel my body, the pain, but I couldn’t move. I thought I was going to die and everything just seemed so stupid. My competition with Bradley, my research, my need to prove him wrong, it all felt stupid because none of it was worth missing out on being with you and my family and the Bellas. How am I supposed to go back into that lab again, Bree?”

“You take your time and go back when it feels right, but your work isn’t stupid, Stace. I didn’t fall in love with you because you are a Bella or a Conrad. I fell in love with you because you are a total nerd.”

“Hey,” said Stacie with a pout and Aubrey giggled.

“Your eyes light up when you talk about your research or something your parents are working on. You get excited by formulas and equations. You are a total nerd and I never want you to feel like you have to hide or get rid of that part of you. The explosion was scary, but it doesn’t define you or your work.” Stacie sighed, but nodded as she cuddled back into Aubrey’s arms. She knew her girlfriend was right and she just hoped that the thought of entering the laboratory wouldn’t fill her with so much dread soon.

 

That evening, Dom watched as Stacie had dinner with her family and friends. They were eating Chinese food and talking animatedly about the Bellas and the party they wanted to throw for Halloween.

“What exactly goes into this Jiggle Juice,” asked Eric and Stacie groaned as the rest of her friends laughed at his curiosity.

“Well, Bree and I changed up the recipe after we got it, but I have no clue what Amy has done to it since then. All I know is that it can knock you on your butt if you aren't careful,” explained Chloe and all the Bellas nodded.

“Been there a few times,” admitted EJ and Stacie looked at him in surprise.

“What, I can have fun,” said EJ and Stacie smirked.

“No, Derek can have fun. You can have a jolly good time,” she teased in a horrible British accent and Derek laughed.

“Trust me, EJ can let loose. You two just don’t bring that out in one another. That’s what I am here for though,” assured Derek. Amy winked at him.

“Maybe you two can come in town for the party and let us show you a good time,” flirted Amy and Stacie groaned.

“No more flirting with my brothers,” she announced and all the Bellas except for Cynthia Rose, Aubrey, and Beca began to pout.

“But it is so much fun,” said Amy and Beca gave Chloe a sideways glance.

“I see you aren't enthused by that rule either, something I need to know, Chlo,” asked Beca and Chloe kissed her.

“Don’t worry, Becs, this ginger is all yours.” Eric smiled over at his daughter.

“Well you should start feeling better soon and be able to enjoy what sounds like a great party for Halloween. You will still need to take it easy on the alcohol though, especially if it is anything like what I used to make in college. I called it Blackhole Punch because once it got a hold of you, it was so strong you couldn’t escape it,” said Eric and Stacie laughed at her father’s joke as her mother shook her head in amusement.

“Wow, I truly married a nerd,” teased Helen and Eric winked at her.

“The best kind of nerd, one with style,” he teased back before kissing her. Stacie and her brothers groaned.

“Alright, knock it off you two, kids are present and we are trying to eat here,” said EJ and Stacie nodded in agreement.

“I can't believe I am about to say this, but EJ is right,” said Stacie. She laughed when EJ stuck his tongue out at her. Dom felt his phone buzz and looked over at Jene as she casually stood up from her spot at the table. Helen and Eric glanced over at her.

“Where is the bathroom, ladies,” asked Jene and Stacie pointed toward the hallway.

“Second door on the left,” said Stacie and Jene smiled kindly at her before excusing herself from the table. Dom followed her out of the kitchen as Daniel and Sanai could be heard in their earpieces.

“We have an unannounced guest pulling into the driveway. Bradley Ellington is on the property,” said Daniel.

“How should we proceed,” asked Sanai. Dom gritted his teeth.

“I’ll handle it,” he said, but Jene shook her head.

“No, I’ve got this one,” she stated as she sauntered toward the front door. Dom opened the door for her and she smiled at the young man as he stepped onto the porch of the Bella House. She could tell he was nervous by the way his hands clinched the bouquet of flowers and chocolates.

“Mr. Ellington, what brings you here on such a nice night,” she asked and he gulped. While the woman was beautiful, something about the way she was looking at him put him on guard.

“Uh, I….is Stacie here?”

“She is currently eating dinner with her friends and family. How can I help you?”

“I just wanted to check on her and apologize for everything that happened.”

“That was so kind of you. I will be sure to give her the message,” she said as she took the roses and chocolate from his hands and handed them to Dom. Bradley frowned in confusion.

“Um, actually I wanted to give them to her myself and explain that it was all just an awful mistake. I was hoping she could talk to Dr. Anderson for me. The university is talking about suspending me, but Anderson wants to fail me so I have to retake the course. This all has been a big mistake and I know if Stacie just talked to them, they would understand….” Jene placed a hand on his back and turned him away from the house as she guided him back toward his Porsche.

“I understand your concern about your academic standing, but Stacie is recovering and needs this time with her family. I will let her know you stopped by.”

“If I could just speak with her for a minute…”

“Bradley, you do not seem like the type of young man that can take a hint and your vulgar comments toward Stacie in the past make that evident, so let me try a more direct approach. You are not getting into that house. There are at least five people inside who would be ready to pounce, including her girlfriend and best friends, so you see, I am doing you a favor. How I see it, you are lucky to be alive not only due to the explosion, but to the fact that you have harassed and belittled Stacie so much that even I am having trouble restraining myself. Here is some advice, when you almost kill yourself and your peers because of your idiocy, do not show up with flowers and candy the next day hoping that one of them will do you a favor. I will tell Stacie you stopped by and she will call you if she chooses to.” He sighed, but nodded as he opened the door to his car.

“Oh and Bradley, if you ever speak ill of Stacie or make vulgar comments to her or any woman for that matter who doesn’t accept your advances, I will personally remove the only part of you that you seem to think with on a regular basis, understand?” He gulped and quickly nodded before hurrying into the car to drive away. Dom walked over to her with a chuckle.

“That was fun to watch,” he admitted and she smiled as she grabbed the box of chocolates from him. She opened it and took a bite from one.

“I will never understand why she hates these. Amedei Porcelana are absolutely divine.”

“She hates dark chocolate,” he informed as he popped one in his mouth.

“That’s right, she hates dark chocolate and EJ hates chocolate cake. I always get them confused,” she said.

“We love dark chocolate,” said Sanai in their earpieces.

“As do I,” said Eva as she headed their way on the sidewalk. Jene playfully glared at Eva, took one more, and handed her the box.

“Fine, but only because I am such a nice boss,” teased Jene and Eva smirked.

“Define nice,” said Eva before popping a chocolate in her mouth and continuing down the street toward Daniel and Sanai’s car. Dom smiled at their interaction and gave a nod in the direction of the car before heading back inside with Jene.


	5. Epilogue

*Epilogue*

Stacie shook her head in amusement as she watched her parents standing at the island in the kitchen with some of her friends. Amy challenged her father to a drink mixing contest to settle once and for all which was better, her version of Jiggle Juice or Blackhole Punch. There was taunting, there were innuendoes, and by the time the judges, which consisted of Flo, Lilly, Jessica, and Ashley, were finished, there were a lot of tipsy of people in the house. Amy and Eric were outraged at the final decision.

“It can't be a draw. A Conrad never accepts a draw,” he declared and Amy nodded.

“Neither does an Aussie, I have a reputation to protect,” exclaimed Amy and Flo scoffed.

“Then you two decide. I am not drinking anymore,” said Flo as Lilly, Jessica, and Ashley nodded in agreement and pushed their drinks to the center of the island. Eric picked up a cup of Jiggle Juice and Amy stared him down as she grabbed a cup of Blackhole Punch. They both downed it and shuddered at the taste.

“Are you trying to kill someone? You can't serve people diesel,” he said with a laugh and Amy cringed.

“I don’t know how you managed to graduate, get married, and pop out geniuses if you were consuming that stuff on a regular basis. I have been poisoned,” she exclaimed.

“Draw,” he asked and Amy shook his hand.

“Draw,” she agreed.

“And now I’m drunk,” announced Eric and Helen rolled her eyes as she pulled her husband into her arms.

“Such a lightweight now, old man,” she teased and Eric winked at her.

“I’ll show you a lightweight,” he teased back. EJ walked into the kitchen with Derek and rolled his eyes.

“Alright, enough you two, no getting it on when the kids are present,” warned EJ and Derek nodded in agreement.

“We’ve been burned before,” added Derek and his father playfully glared at him.

“You two are always trying to ruin our fun. You should have seen them when they were little. Anytime I would get even a little attention from my gorgeous wife, they would run in and ruin the moment. Mama’s boys, the both of them,” said Eric as the twins blushed.

“Alright, you’re cut off, dad. Bellas, any of you ladies care to dance? The dance party in the living room misses you,” said Derek and Jessica, Ashley, and Flo giggled as they followed him. Amy winked at EJ.

“Come on, handsome, I heard you are single now, so I’ll even let you cop a feel,” said Amy as she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the living room.

“Well, you only live once,” he said with a shrug. Stacie giggled at their antics and made her way toward the backyard. She knew Aubrey was off somewhere with Beca and Chloe trying to cheer up Emily. The soon-to-be sophomore was bummed that all of her friends were graduating and leaving her behind. They were assuring her they would always be there for her, but Stacie understood why she was sad. Everything was about to change.

After she recovered from the accident in the laboratory, she returned back to school. It took her a month before she felt like she was back into her rhythm, but she eventually got there. Bradley was suspended for two weeks for the accident and steered clear of Stacie after that. Stacie and Ada grew closer because of the experience, which was why they were ecstatic when they were both accepted into the graduate program at Georgia Tech. Stacie planned on taking the summer off and spending it at the lodge with Aubrey as well as taking summer vacations. She and Aubrey were heading to D.C. to see Aubrey’s father, Portland to spend time with her family, and ending the summer in Los Angeles once Beca and Chloe got settled down. Knowing she would see her best friend soon was the only thing that made the bittersweet graduation party not feel like the permanent goodbye they all dreaded it would be.

“Penny for your thoughts,” asked Dom as he stepped out onto the back porch and sat down beside her.

“You know you are off duty, right? You don’t have to lurk in the shadows anymore.”

“Just because I won’t be in Atlanta doesn’t mean I am ever off duty. I will always be here to protect you, Stace. No matter what, I promise.”

“I know. I am just going to miss you more than I thought I would.”

“Ouch.”

“You know what I mean,” she laughed and he nodded.

“Yes, I know, but you don’t need me here anymore. You can protect yourself and you and Aubrey will protect each other. I can't believe you will be someone’s wife soon.” She beamed with happiness as she looked down at the sparkling diamond on her finger.

“I know right, it is crazy to think about. At the same time, I can't imagine it any other way. So much is changing though.”

“That tends to happen when you graduate from college, but don’t worry. You have a great group of friends here and no matter where you all end up, I have a feeling you’ll find a way to keep it that way.”

“So, are you excited about going back to Portland? You always loved it there.”

“Will I miss the humidity and impossibly hot summers of Georgia, no, but I will miss this place. Don’t tell anyone, but I might even miss the acapella performances.” She gasped dramatically.

“If I would have known, I would have gotten you up there during our final performance.”

“And this is why I don’t tell you anything.”

“We could have gotten you a cute vest and a Bella scarf.”

“I hate you.” She laughed and gave him a hug.

“I love you too, Dom,” she whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek. He held onto her for a moment longer, closing his eyes to memorize what it felt like and Stacie let him. They never talked about the connection they had or why she spent most of her teenage years flirting shamelessly with him. Both knew it could never happen and never would, but the possibly always intrigued her, until Aubrey came along. She smiled as a familiar song came on in the house and Dom let her go.

“Sounds like your siren song, go have fun.” She nodded and stood up.

“One more stipulation before you go, when you get to Portland and find the lucky woman that wins your heart, I get to meet her before anyone else in the family does.” He winked at her.

“In the words of Chloe Beale, totes,” he said and Stacie winked back at him.

“See, already an aca-awesome honorary Bella. I’ll mail you a scarf,” she called over her shoulder before heading inside as he chuckled.

 

Aubrey smiled when she saw Stacie making her way through the crowd of dancing bodies to meet her in the middle of the living room. The moment she reached her, Stacie pulled her into her arms and tenderly kissed her.

“Hey, Future Mrs. Conrad.”

“Mrs. Conrad-Posen,” corrected Aubrey as they began to dance to the song.

“I don’t know, Bree. I think I can wear you down.”

“You have your ways, but so do I.” Stacie kissed her again.

“Fine, Conrad-Posen, Emily looks happy. What did you guys say to cheer her up,” she asked as Emily danced with Cynthia Rose, Jessica, Ashley, Lilly, Flo, and the twins.

“We promised that you and I would be close by and everyone would fly in to see the new Bellas perform at ICCAs.”

“That’s it,” she questioned and Aubrey shrugged.

“Her spirits may have been lifted when Chloe and Beca offered to fly her out to Los Angeles to see them this summer as well.”

“Oh, so bribery.”

“Whatever gets the job done,” said Aubrey and Stacie pulled her closer.

“I love that you played this song.”

“I love that you came to find me as soon as I did.”

“Well, it is Troye Sivan. I had no choice in the matter really. The only thing hotter would be if you were singing to me naked.”

“I will keep that in mind for your birthday,” teased Aubrey and Stacie moaned as Aubrey sang softly in her ear.

“My happy little pill, take me away. Dry my eyes, bring color to my skies, my sweet little pill. Tame my hunger. Lie within, numb my skin…wait is this song about drug abuse?” Stacie threw her head back in laughter and Aubrey giggled.

“You just now are listening to the lyrics?”

“It is usually playing during sex, Stace. I am not exactly focused on the content.”

“Good point and I have no clue, but it is totally still our lady jam.”

“The best lady jam,” assured Aubrey.

“Don’t let Chloe hear you say that,” teased Stacie before tenderly kissing her again. They both giggled and held each other close as they moved together to the song, knowing that no matter what happened in their future, they would be together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! I hope you enjoyed and feel free to let me know what you thought of it. Did you enjoy Aubrey taking care of Stacie?


End file.
